Boychuk, Bruins top Rangers

Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Johnny Boychuk celebrated his 29th birthday in
style with a third-period goal and the Boston Bruins beat the New York
Rangers, 3-1, in the start of the abbreviated 48-game schedule for both teams.

Milan Lucic and Daniel Paille also scored while Tuukka Rask stopped 20 shots
for the Bruins, who are coming off the Northeast Division title. Boston was
eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in seven games by Washington.

Brad Richards scored the lone goal for the Rangers, who finished atop the
Eastern Conference standings last season, but were beaten by New Jersey in six
games in the conference finals.

Rick Nash, a new addition to the Rangers in the offseason, had an assist.

Ahead 2-1, the Bruins killed of a two-man advantage for the Rangers early in
the third period, and were able to go on the power play thanks to Nash's
hooking penalty. Lundqvist made a highlight reel save during Boston's man-
advantage, diving across the crease to make a glove stop on a shot from David
Krejci from the bottom of the right circle. The puck may have crossed the goal
line, but it was in Lundqvist's glove and replays were inconclusive, and the
no-goal ruling remained.

Boychuk scored on a shot from above the right circle at 8:13 of the third
period. The puck deflected off Richards and past Lundqvist.

The Bruins gained the early upperhand in the first game for the teams since
the end of the NHL lockout.

Boston's Tyler Seguin was denied on a breakaway midway through the first
period, but the Bruins went in front with 5:46 left in the same stanza thanks
to Lucic's tally. Lundqvist stopped Krejci's blast from above the right
circle, but Lucic put in the rebound.

Paille scored off a tip-in at 8:20 of the middle period for a 2-0 margin. The
Bruins used a 3-on-2 rush to gain pressure, and Gregory Campbell's shot from
above the right circle was redirected off Lundqvist, and the puck trickled
across the goal line.

Richards cut the deficit in half 4 1/2 minutes later when his wrist shot from
the slot made it through traffic in front of Rask.

Game Notes

Fisticuffs ensued in the second with two fights three seconds apart. The first
one occurred at 13:35 when New York's Mike Rupp and Boston's Shawn Thornton
were engaged in a lengthy battle with Rupp taken down to the ice. Then, the
Rangers' Stu Bickel and Campbell threw hefty punches in a shorter bout before
it was broken apart ... This marked the fifth straight season the Rangers
opened the season on the road ... The Bruins moved to 2-7-1 in their last 10
season openers ... Boston beat the Rangers for the fourth time in the last 13
meetings. New York had its four-game winning streak at TD Garden broken ...
Lundqvist has started in 25 consecutive games against Boston, dating back to
Jan. 13, 2007.